Safety surface

Abstract

A safety surface for use in a designated area of a playground or other activity area includes a primary shock absorbing layer formed with a plurality of bags, and a border arranged for placement along selected edges of the designated area. The bags are sized and shaped to abut adjacent bags, with a portion of the bags arranged to abut the border. Each of the bags is filled with a plurality of pieces of a shock absorbent material, and includes one or more internal dividers arranged to divide the interior of the bag into a plurality of interior compartments. A top layer is arranged to overlie the bags and arranged for securement to the border. The top layer may be formed by discrete tiles that are joined together along seams by an elongate channel connector. The border may be formed of border sections joined at articulating joints.

We claim:  
     
       1. A safety surface for use over a supporting base in a playground area, the safety surface comprising:
 a layer assembly consisting essentially of:
 a primary shock absorbing layer formed of a plurality of bags disposed horizontally adjacent each other across the playground area, each bag being flexible and filled with a plurality of pieces of shock absorbent material; and 
 a top layer directly contacting the primary shock absorbing layer and defining an activity surface, the top layer being flexible; and 
 
 a border along a horizontal periphery of the primary shock absorbing layer; 
 wherein the top layer is retained by the border, and wherein the border and the top layer prevent the bags from migrating relative to each other. 
 
     
     
       2. The safety surface of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer is formed of at least a first piece and a second piece joined together by a channel connector extending along a seam between the first piece and the second piece, the channel connector having an upper connector portion and a lower connector portion, the upper connector portion disposed above the first and second pieces, the lower connector portion disposed below the first and second pieces, and the upper connector portion interlocked with the lower connector portion. 
     
     
       3. The safety surface of  claim 2 , wherein the upper connector portion comprises an elongate male interlocking profile and the lower connector portion comprises an elongate female interlocking profile. 
     
     
       4. The safety surface of  claim 2 , wherein the upper connector portion comprises a first flange and a second flange, the lower connector portion comprises a third flange and a fourth flange, wherein the first piece is clamped between the first and third flanges, and the second piece is clamped between the second and fourth flanges. 
     
     
       5. The safety surface of  claim 4 , further comprising an adhesive disposed along at least one of the first through fourth flanges and adhering the first piece to the lower connector portion. 
     
     
       6. The safety surface of  claim 4 , further comprising a gripping ridge disposed along at least one of the flanges, the gripping ridge engaged against at least one of the first and second pieces to prevent the piece from pulling away from the seam. 
     
     
       7. The safety surface of  claim 4 , wherein the upper connector portion has an unflexed position and a flexed position, wherein the first and second flanges are coplanar in the flexed position and at least one of the first and second flanges is angled away from coplanarity in the unflexed position. 
     
     
       8. The safety surface of  claim 2 , wherein each of the first piece and the second piece is in the form of a tile. 
     
     
       9. The safety surface of  claim 8 , wherein the tile is in the form of a planar sheet. 
     
     
       10. The safety surface of  claim 9 , wherein the tile has a thickness and a rectangular peripheral edge defining a length and a width. 
     
     
       11. The safety surface of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer and the primary absorbing layer are porous. 
     
     
       12. The safety surface of  claim 1 , wherein the top layer includes a plurality of drain holes. 
     
     
       13. The safety surface of  claim 1 , further comprising a lower layer disposed below the primary shock absorbing layer. 
     
     
       14. The safety surface of  claim 13 , wherein the lower layer comprises a porous geotextile. 
     
     
       15. The safety surface of  claim 1 , further comprising a base layer disposed underneath the primary shock absorbing layer to provide structural support to the primary shock absorbing layer and the top layer. 
     
     
       16. The safety surface of  claim 15 , wherein the base layer comprises a porous granular material. 
     
     
       17. The safety surface of  claim 15 , wherein the primary shock absorbing layer is disposed on the base layer. 
     
     
       18. The safety surface of  claim 17 , wherein the base layer is disposed on the lower layer. 
     
     
       19. The safety surface of  claim 1 , wherein the support surface is the ground. 
     
     
       20. The safety surface of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bags is formed of water permeable material. 
     
     
       21. The safety surface of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the bags has an interior divided into a plurality of compartments by one or more dividers, each compartment containing shock absorbent material. 
     
     
       22. The safety surface of  claim 1 , further comprising a surface layer disposed over the top layer. 
     
     
       23. The safety surface of  claim 22 , wherein the surface layer comprises a matt of imitation turf. 
     
     
       24. A safety surface for use over a supporting base in a playground area, the safety surface comprising:
 a primary shock absorbing layer formed of a plurality of bags disposed horizontally adjacent each other across the playground area, each bag being flexible and filled with a plurality of pieces of shock absorbent material; 
 a border along a horizontal periphery of the primary shock absorbing layer; and 
 a top layer overlying the primary shock absorbing layer and defined an activity surface, the top layer being flexible and being retained by the border; 
 wherein the border and the top layer prevent bags from migrating relative to each other, and wherein the border comprises an elongate body and lip, the elongate body abutting the periphery of the primary shock absorbing layer and the top layer, the lip overhanging the top layer to retain the top layer. 
 
     
     
       25. A safety surface for use over a supporting base in a playground area, the safety surface comprising:
 a primary shock absorbing layer formed of a plurality of bags disposed horizontally adjacent each other across the playground area, each bag being flexible and filled with a plurality of pieces of shock absorbent material; 
 a border along a horizontal periphery of the primary shock absorbing layer; and 
 a top layer overlying the primary shock absorbing layer and defining an activity surface, the top layer being flexible and being retained by the border; 
 wherein the border and the top layer prevents the bags from migrating relative to each other, and wherein the border comprises a plurality of border sections including at least a first border section and a second border section, wherein the first border section is articulably joined to the second border section at an articulating joint. 
 
     
     
       26. The safety surface of  claim 25 , wherein the articulating join comprises a pin extending through aligned first and second bores of the first and second border sections. 
     
     
       27. The safety surface of  claim 26 , wherein the pin extends past the bottom of the first and second border sections to anchor the border in place. 
     
     
       28. The safety surface of  claim 27 , wherein the pin extends into the support surface. 
     
     
       29. A safety surface for use over a supporting base in a playground area, the safety surface comprising:
 a primary shock absorbing layer formed of a plurality of bags disposed horizontally adjacent each other across the playground area, each bag being flexible and filled with a plurality of pieces of shock absorbent material; 
 a border along a horizontal periphery of the primary shock absorbing layer; and 
 a top layer immediately adjacent the primary shock absorbing layer and defined an activity surface, the top layer being flexible and being retained by the border; 
 wherein the border and the top layer prevent the bags from migrating relative to each other, and 
 wherein a peripheral edge of the surface layer is retained underneath the lip of the border. 
 
     
     
       30. A safety surface for use over a supporting base in a playground area, the safety surface comprising:
 a primary shock absorbing layer formed of a plurality of bags disposed horizontally adjacent each other across the playground area, each bag being flexible and filled with a plurality of pieces of shock absorbent material; 
 a border along a horizontal periphery of the primary shock absorbing layer; and 
 a top layer overlying the primary shock absorbing layer and defining an activity surface, the top layer being flexible and being retained by the border; 
 wherein the border and the top layer prevent the bags from migrating relative to each other, and 
 wherein the top layer is formed of at least a first piece and a second piece joined together by a channel connector extending along a seam between the first piece and the second piece, the channel connector having an upper connector portion and a lower connector portion, the upper connector portion disposed above the first and second pieces, the lower connector portion disposed below the first and second pieces, and the upper connector portion interlocked with the lower connector portion, and 
 wherein the upper connector comprises a first flange and a second flange, the lower connector comprises a third flange and a fourth flange, the first piece being clamped between the first and third flanges, and the second piece is clamped between the second and fourth flanges, and 
 wherein the first and second flanges each include at least one gripping ridge configured to grip a respective portion of the first and second pieces.